Bid to kill police officers slammed as 'cowardly'
DISSIDENT republicans who attacked members of the security forces and caused widespread disruption at the weekend have been condemned for showing a "total disregard for their fellow man".
Police officers were shot at in Newry on Saturday night while examining a suspicious device which was left on the railway line between Killeen and Meigh.
No one was injured during the incident which occurred at around 9.15pm but District Commander Chief Superintendent Alisdair Robinson said the attack was "a cowardly attempt to kill police officers".
Between four and eight shots were fired, a PSNI spokeswoman said.
But the spokeswoman said that she was unable to give the News Letter further details, such as the range the shots were fired from, because the investigation is ongoing.
Last night the alert was ongoing, with Army technical officers having been at the scene since Friday, which marked the beginning of a weekend marred by security alerts across the Province.
Chief Supt Robinson said those who carried out the gun attack and security alerts have little support.
He said: "The people who carry out these senseless acts show a total disregard for their fellow man and are not part of the society within which the majority of people of Northern Ireland wish to live."
Chief Supt Robinson thanked the local community for their continued support of officers investigating the device.
"Officers will continue to look after the policing needs of all our people and will put in place whatever measures are necessary to take a robust stance against those who seem determined to disrupt and attack local communities," he said.
Ulster Unionist MLA for the area Danny Kennedy said the attack was a deliberate trap and another indication that police are right to be cautious when investigating suspicious devices.
"I am greatly relieved that the attack did not result in any injury or death," he said.
"But there was a clear intention here to use the security alert as a trap and this confirms the necessity of police having to be cautious in responding to these alerts.
"The co-ordinated campaign of alerts over the weekend confirms the intent of these people to cause disruption."
SDLP MLA for Newry and Armagh, Dominic Bradley, said the location of the device was deliberate in its attempt to disrupt rugby fans travelling to Dublin for Ireland's last game in Croke Park.
He said: "Just how the disruption of one of the main pieces of north-south transport infrastructure, or the attempt to thwart the travel plans of people on their way to support the national rugby team, will advance the cause of a united Ireland is beyond most right-thinking people."
Mr Bradley said that "the Provos" tried the same tactic previously "and it didn't work, nor will it work now".
"If they have a political point to make they should make it through the democratic process — not on the railway line between Meigh and Killeen," said Mr Bradley.
Elsewhere at the weekend a viable device was found in Magherafelt on Saturday.
The security alert at Kirk Avenue, which resulted in a controlled explosion, caused a number of homes and businesses to be evacuated.
DUP MLA Ian McCrea said: "I condemn the actions of these dissident republican terrorists whose only agenda is to bring Northern Ireland back to the bad old days of threats, intimidation, bloodshed and murder.
"It is important that the Chief Constable is given the full support of all parties to take whatever action he believes is necessary to stamp out these cowardly dissidents."
There were numerous security alerts throughout Belfast, Londonderry and Ballymena on Friday but all were found to be hoaxes.
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Sunday 27 May 2012
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